Filing drawer



March 8 1938. M. E. WEESIES 2,110,185

FILING DRAWER .Filed Jan. 22, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENZOR. Manna E. Wws a e- WMIDd/a ATTORNEY.

March 8, 1938. M. E. WEESIES FILING DRAWER Filed Jan. 22, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Manna E. Wze/s [as MG W, pal/6L ATTORNEY.

arch 8, 1938. I M. E. wEEslEs 2,110,185

FILING DRAWER Filed Jan. 22, 1936 3 SheetsSheet 3 INVENTOR. Manna E, Wwfls ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 8, 1938 FILING DRAWER Application January 22, 1936, Serial No. 60,284

4 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvement in filing drawers and particularly to improvements in follower locks for the drawers of filing cabinets, filing trays and boxes wherein to file documents, letters, cards, circulars and the like. The objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a positive lock for the follower for holding the said documents, letters, cards and circulars, under pressure against the inner side of the drawer, tray or box front; second, to provide a lock for the follower that will be simple and cheap to construct; third, to provide a lock for the follower that will hold the follower against the filled contents with equal force at each side; and, fourth, to provide a follower that will automatically become locked against displacement by force exerted by the filed contents.

I attain these objects and others, that will become apparent from a perusal of the description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet drawer in which is incorporated my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line Hill-400 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the follower looking at the filing face thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the filing follower, follower lock and a portion of the drawer.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the filing follower and lock mechanism taken on line 200-200 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lock releasing hand lever.

Fig. 7 is an edge view of the locking bar with one end in section, and,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the locking members.

Throughout the drawings, similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and referring thereto:

I represents the filing cabinet drawer consisting of a front panel 2, back panel 3, bottom 4, provided with groove 5 in which is filing leaflet holding rod 6, supported by member 1. The drawer l at the outer side of the front panel 2 is provided with handle 8 and index card receptacle 9 and on the rod 6, head 6a whereby the rod 6 may be unscrewed from the drawer and removed for the removal or replacement of filing leaflets. The sides IU, of the drawer, at their tops are folded into the channels H, extending substantially the length of the drawer and in spaced relation to the channels it the sides of the drawer are bent to form the rectangular channels l2, in each of which is held loosely at one end by' the screw l3, locking rods M, one extending substantially the length of each channel l2 and having at the opposite end from the anchor screw l3, transverse placement bar l5 secured to the channel walls. Within the drawer l is the slidable filing follower plate [6, at its bottom folded into a stiffening flange H, at its top into the angular extending flange l8 and upward extending portion [9 having stiffening fold 2B, and intermediate the bottom and top of the follower at its back face and secured thereto, locking member housing 2| containing the locking bar 22 arched to form a spring tension throughout its length and having at each of its ends, a hole 23 with gripping tongue 24 extending from the arched convex side of the locking bar 22 to form a gripping tongue for engaging the locking rod l4 and at its concave side fulcrum bends 25 resting against guide bar 3| having at each of its ends holes 32 through which locking rods M extend and are guided by the upper and lower sides thereof. Secured to the follower it below the housing 2| and closing the under side thereof is member 26 extending downward and upward to form a fulcrum groove I00 for the resilient lock releasing member 21 of sheet or plate metal bent and shaped to desired form with its lower end resting in the fulcrum groove Hill of the member 26 and held therein by screw 28. At the side of the lock releasing member 2'! and extending transversely therefrom in the direction of the locking bar 22 and resting thereagainst is the tongue-like extension 29 whereby the locking bar is depressed by the unlocking forward movement of the lock releasing member 21. At each side of the follower I6 and secured thereto as by welding are trough-like guiding members 30 which slide in the channels l2 of the drawer sides and maintain the follower in proper alignment within the drawer.

In the operation or use of my present improvements, the follower l6 and lock releasing member 21 are grasped at their tops by the operators hand and brought in contact with each other. In doing so the locking bar 22 is depressed by the tongue 29 to a straightened or reversed curved position, thus releasing the locking rods from the cramping grip of the sides of the holes 23 and tongues 24. The bends 25 act as fulcrum points for bending the locking bar. When the follower and lock releasing member are in contact, the locking bar 22 is released from gripping the locking rods I4 and the follower may then be moved cause the locking bar to grip the locking rods.

Also, I have shown and described, for clearness, my invention as installed 'within a cabinet'drawer. It is to be understood the invention is applicable to containers such as desk trays and boxes wherein are kept index cards and :the like.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope, and,

Iclaim:

1. In a filing drawer having a file follower therein, the .drawer having a front panel, back,

:bottom and sides'each having a'channel extending from adjacent the drawer front to adjacent the drawer back; a rod loosely held at one end in each of said channels; means carried by the said follower for gripping saidrods; the said gripping means consisting of a resilient :arched bar perforated at each end with a tongue extending from the convex arched side of said bar and at one side of each of said perforations; and a releasing memberconsisting of -a-metal plate fulcrumed at one end and having an extension engaging the said arched .bar forbending the same to release the grip of the bar from the loosely held rods in the said channels of the drawer.

2. In a filing drawer having a file follower therein, the drawer having a front panel and two sides extending therefrom, each side having a channel intermediate its top and bottom; a rod in each channel loosely anchored at one end against longitudinal displacement; a resilient arched bar embracing both of said rods with a tongue at one side of each of said rods .for gripping the same; a plate fulcrumed on the file follower and engaging the arched bar for releasing the grip of the said bar on the said therein, the drawer having a front panel and two sidesextending therefrom, each side having=a;channelintermediate its top and bottom; a rod in each channel loosely anchored at one end against longitudinal displacement, a resilient. archedbar embracing both of saidrods with a tonguefor grippingthe same, a plate fulcrumed on the filefollower and engaging the arched bar for releasing the grip of the said bar on the said rods for the purpose specified.

I4. In =a filing drawer, having a file follower, .aSfront and two sides, each-side having an outwardly extending channel and a locking rod anchored in each-of said channels, an arched follower locking bar carried by the follower and extending between the said-locking rods and lockingly engaging the same when the locking bar is inits arched form and means associated with the said follower for depressing the locking bar to unlocking engagement with thesaid locking rods.

E. WEESIES. 

